Previously
A weaponized virus has surfaced on US soil, planned to be used against American citizens. Former federal agent Adam Black was brought back from prison to help the anti-terrorist agency ATC to locate and secure the virus from the market. This attempt was successful, and the virus ended up in the hands an unknown terrorist who is now using it as leverage against the President, who he appears to have a personal grudge with. It's been a long day with no end in sight.
November 1st, 2023. 10:30pm Los Angeles, California
Outside Dietrich's Old Hideout
Paul and his team of ATC troopers are searching for Dietrich at the back of the building, but he's nowhere to be found.
Paul tries his best to act shocked, even though he knows full well Dietrich has made his escape. It's hard for him to concentrate while knowing Dietrich is holding Maria hostage, threatening to kill her unless Paul does exactly as he is being told.
Paul nervously keeps checking his phone for further instructions, but instead gets a call from Simmons at ATC.
ATC Headquarters
"It's me, Paul, do you have Schneider in custody?"
Paul hates confronting Simmons right now, but he has no choice but to act like he messed up somehow.
"No, we- we can't find him."
"What do you mean you can't find him?"
"It seems as if he escaped the building before we got here. He wasn't inside."
The call is on speaker and Adam is among the people gathered around the phone at HQ, and gets curious.
"What do you mean he wasn't in there?"
Adam is the last person Paul wants to discuss the situation with right now, and gets noticeably agitated.
"The hell should I know! He wasn't there!"
"The satellite footage showed him getting in the building and he never got out. He must have been there."
"Well, I went there. And he wasn't."
As the argument is going on, Theodore is eavesdropping it while working on his computer. He senses something is up and quickly checks the satellite feed a few minutes ago, which clearly shows Dietrich and Gwen get out of the building the moment Paul ordered the troops to the back. Something is fishy, but before he wastes time wondering about, he deletes the footage from the system and removes any traces of him having done anything.
Checking the satellite feed is the first thing that Adam thinks of, as well, and tells Alex to see what is going on.
"Alex, check the satellite feed from two minutes ago. See if you can find Schneider."
"On it."
Alex attempts to enter the feed, but much to his surprise cannot find anything.
"That's weird..."
"What?"
"I can't seem to find anything."
"What do you mean you can't find anything?"
Alex uses all of his computer expertise in trying to locate the footage, but it really seems to be lost.
"There's nothing here. I can't access the footage - it's gone."
The rest of the ATC crew are just confused, thinking it could be a technical malfunction, but Adam thinks something else is going on. He pulls Simmons and Bruce aside.
"Someone on the inside is working for Schneider."
At first, both Simmons and Bruce find it hard to believe.
"That's a stretch, Adam. Maybe the software glitched."
"Think. It's the only explanation. The footage clearly showed Schneider getting inside the building earlier today, and no footage showed him getting out. And now the footage is gone. We have to assume the worst."
Adam then appeals to Bruce's experience.
"Bruce, you and I have done this job for a long time, long enough to know that in this line of work there's no such thing as a coincidence. We already had one dirty agent today, remember?"
Bruce begins to agree with Adam.
"He's making a point."
Simmons then also jumps on board.
"We can't ignore the possibility. I'm going to ask for the hourlies; I want every single detail of every single thing everybody has done today."
Simmons goes to tell Richard about the situation, but before he does so, his phone rings.
"It's the President."
Simmons answers the call.
"Simmons."
"Please tell me you have Mr. Schneider in custody."
Like a child about to confess bad test results to his parents, Simmons feels a sense of shame in having to admit the operation failed.
"I'm afraid that's not the case, sir."
Simmons can feel and almost hear the dead silence that fills the phone call until the President finally makes out a sentence.
"What do you mean?"
"It seems, sir, that Schneider escaped."
"But you are pursuing him? You have his location, don't you?"
"No, sir. We do not."
"Simmons, are you telling me Schneider is still out there, with the virus, and ATC has no idea where he is?"
"That is the current situation, sir. I'm sorry."
"My God. Mr. Simmons, I refused to comply with Schneider's latest demand. This means he will now release more of the virus, killing God knows how many more American civilians - and ATC has no way of stopping him. Is that the current scenario?"
The gravity of the situation floors Simmons, but there's no way of denying that the President's assessment seems to be the correct one.
"I'm afraid that is the current working scenario, sir."
A Few Miles Away from Dietrich's Hideout
Dietrich and Gwen are safely driving a black van to a new location, Dietrich is in the driver's seat, as Gwen keeps growing more and more unhappy with how things have gone. The day's events have deviated a lot from what the original plan was.
"The President refused to comply, Dietrich. And now you brought Adam's former woman into this."
"She's agent Douglas' wife, Gwen. And Douglas is the head of Field Ops at ATC. She is our best leverage."
"What are you going to do with her?"
"We will use her for a little while longer. I will be requiring further assistance from our new friend agent Douglas in just a moment."
"And what might that be?"
"You'll see. And trust me, Gwen: the President will be much more cooperative once he sees the virus wreak havoc at the UCLA Medical Center."
ATC Headquarters
Frustrated and tired, Adam pours himself a cup of coffee. Not to enjoy it, but simply to try and stay awake. It's a small miracle he's even standing after everything that's happened. He was broken out of prison at 7am, it's already been way over 24 hours since the last time he had anything to eat, and even that was prison food of questionable quality.
Adam downs the coffee and runs his fingers through his hair. Something is up, and he knows it. Paul isn't Adam's favorite person in the world, but despite their differences, Adam has seen that Paul is more than capable on the field, and as the Head of Field Ops. His screw up was so out of character that it makes Adam suspicious.
He decides to share his suspicions with Alex, who he trusts.
"Can talk for a second?"
"Sure thing, Adam."
"Besides you, who could theoretically access the satellite feed?"
"Theoretically, anyone, since we can all access each other's systems, but it's impossible to do without leaving traces. I can't think of anyone here, besides me, who could pull it off. Why?"
"I think someone on the inside is working for Schneider, and that person removed the satellite footage."
"Are you sure about that?"
"It's the only explanation. Try to think."
Alex goes through the staff in his head, and turns his eyes to Theodore's workstation. Adam notices Alex staring at Theodore. He then marches in to talk to Richard in Simmons in Richard's office.
"You have the hourlies ready?"
Richard has just finished pulling them up from the system.
"Right here."
"Check everything Theodore has been doing since 7am this morning. Alex thinks he might have been able to pull off deleting the satellite footage."
Richard takes a look at Theodore's data, as Adam and Simmons gather around the computer, as well. There's nothing out of the ordinary to be found, however.
"Well, there's nothing incriminating here at a quick glance."
Adam has a suspicion, and is not ready to give up on it just yet.
"Keep looking. When did Theodore get here?"
"He's a new recruit."
Simmons gets curious, as well.
"How new?"
"A month and a half, something like that."
Adam has that look on his face that he gets when he wants to do something he shouldn't, so Richard stops him right there.
"Adam, I know what you're thinking. But there's no case against him, you might be completely off base here."
"Just keep looking. But we also need a list of high probability targets for Schneider to hit in the Los Angeles area. He's going to target a populated area, and as most people are at home by this time of night, it should narrow it down a little bit."
The White House
President Reynolds is blaming himself for not complying with Schneider's demands, but Palmer is trying to convince him that he made the right call by not agreeing to bomb America's allies in West Bank.
"You did the only thing you could, Mr. President."
"I have just sentenced more American citizens to death at the hands of Schneider and the virus. It's hard for me to feel good about my decision."
"The political ramifications of us bombing Israel outposts would have been disastrous, even if the bombings had been done under duress."
"And the results of not complying are also disastrous. How could this happen, Palmer? How can one man hold our entire government hostage like this?"
"We just need to pray ATC manages to stop him in time."
"I don't understand how ATC managed to allow him to escape."
"Me, neither, sir."
The President is ready to admit his mistake in placing so much trust in Adam.
"I think I may have made a terrible mistake in trusting Adam Black. All of this could have been avoided earlier today had not played the hero. I admire his courage, but if more American lives are lost because of him. I don't think I can live with that, Palmer."
Palmer sees this an opportunity to further his own agenda against Adam.
"Sir, I'm not one to say I told you so, but I think we can still correct that mistake. Politically, if nothing else."
"What are you suggesting?"
Outside Dietrich's Old Hideout
Paul's phone rings, so he takes a few steps to be alone before he answers it because he knows it's Dietrich calling.
"Agent Douglas. First of all, I want to congratulate you on successfully passing phase one."
"Yeah, I allowed you to escape. Now, where's my wife, you son of a bitch?"
"Not so fast. I already told you I like doing things in phases. You did great in phase ones. Now it's time for phase two."
"I need to know my wife's still alive. I won't do anything before I talk to her."
"Oh, she's right here."
Dietrich picked up Maria and his henchman from Maria's apartment, and took her with them to a new location.
Maria is being held at gunpoint, gagged with her hands tied behind her back. Dietrich removes the gag and places the phone on her ear.
"You will now talk to your husband."
"Paul?"
"Maria? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm being held at the-"
Dietrich removes the phone before she can finish her sentence.
"Satisfied?"
Hearing Maria's voice breaks Paul and he is seething with anger.
"If you harm her, you piece of shit, I swear to God."
"You are not the one in charge here, agent Douglas. I have your wife, which means I call the shots. Do as I say, and she will be returned to you. A failure on your part will result in her disfigurement, or worse."
It kills Paul to cooperate with the man threatening to kill his wife, but he doesn't see an alternative.
"What do you want?"
"It's simple. It's my understanding that we actually have a common problem."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it true that your wife used to be engaged to Mr. Adam Black?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Your next assignment should be simple. All I need you to do is deliver something for me. The body of Adam Black."